Case Study: Translink achieves 25% faster project reporting and sharper portfolio decision-making with Microsoft Power BI

UK public transit company elevates project management and transforms decision making

Translink, the public transit operator for Northern Ireland based in Belfast, needed better visibility and control over a growing portfolio of long‑term infrastructure projects—about 200–300 live projects and roughly £100 million in annual capital expenditure. The existing PMO system was slow and manual, forcing staff to spend nearly a week each month reconciling data and limiting timely governance. To address this, Translink adopted Microsoft Project (Project Online) alongside Microsoft Power BI and other Microsoft 365 tools to modernize project planning, reporting and collaboration.

Using Microsoft Project with Microsoft Power BI (supported by partner TPG’s Project add‑on and SharePoint integration), Translink created a single source of truth and live reporting for portfolio reviews. The result: the PMO reclaimed a week of non‑productive time each month (about 25% faster monthly reporting), achieved an estimated 10% lift in overall project management efficiency, and now conducts rapid, data‑driven portfolio reviews with real‑time visibility across ~300 projects and 80 users—enabling better governance of its £100m+ capital program. Microsoft Power BI’s reporting capability was singled out as a game‑changer for executive decision making and operational collaboration.

Translink

Chris Conway

Chief Executive Officer